I have had marble flooring at home for over 10 years. Recently, we engaged a contractor to polish it as there were cracks, but a few months later hairline cracks appeared and have started to spread. Why is this so?

Many homeowners love the look of marble because of the luxe factor it gives to a space. But being a natural stone, marble will react to environmental factors such as temperature changes and moisture levels. To understand why cracks might form after polishing, it is important to understand how the process works. A stone expert we spoke to explained that the process includes grinding a thin layer off the surface of the flooring, filling the cracks with marble powder and glue, and then polishing the surface. Water is used in the process too.While marble has a porous nature, this varies with different types of marble. Therefore it becomes challenging to predict how your flooring will react to the polishing. Its condition is affected by how fast the water dries up, the vibration of the machine, as well as pre-existing conditions like the installation method used and the initial waterproofing done. It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact cause and effects are seen only a few months down the road. White marble, which is the top choice among homeowners in Singapore, is generally regarded as more porous than other types of marble.